British Dental Health Foundation Latest Organisation To Back Drinks Tax
The UK’s largest dental charity, the British Dental Health Foundation, has become the latest public health organisation to lend its support to a proposed tax on fizzy drinks.
The foundation has joined more than 60 UK organisations in the support a proposal for a new tax on soft drinks. The campaign was launched by the charity, Sustain, which released a report entitled ‘A Children’s Future Fund – How food duties could provide the money to protect children’s health and the world they grow up in’.
The report makes 3 main recommendations for the next budget, including the introduction of a soft drink tax at around 20p per litre, with the money then being used to raise money to fund healthy meals for children and set up a regulatory body to oversee the process of implementing the scheme.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said the campaign is important, not just for oral health, but also for obesity, an increasing problem. Dr Carter added that the consumption of fizzy drinks has undoubtedly impacted children’s oral health negatively and contributed to increasing rates of child obesity.
Three in ten children in the UK have tooth decay when they start school at the age of 4 or 5 years old. And dentists around the country are reporting seeing very young children with signs of tooth decay.
Dr Carter said that Sustain’s report raises important issues and conveys a vital message which the BDHF firmly supports.
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